How Genealogical Societies Can Participate in the All-New Society Showcase

Society Showcase Gets a Makeover for the FGS 2015 Conference  

FGS Society Showcase is under construction for FGS 2015. We have big changes planned for the well-loved Society Showcase section of our exhibit hall. When the FGS and RootsTech 2015 Expo Hall opens on February 12th in Salt Lake City, a new and improved Society Showcase will be located with the FGS booth. You don't want to miss this opportunity to reach thousands of potential new members and we’ve made it exceptionally easy for you to participate.

If you've attended an FGS conference in the past, you've seen Society Showcase in the exhibit hall: a section of tables for FGS member societies that desire a presence at the conference without renting a full booth. It's been a focal point of FGS conference exhibit halls, and it's getting even better thanks to FGS Director Caroline Pointer’s new design.

Now visitors and attendees will "travel" the U.S. and around the world discovering what specific resources genealogical societies can provide the individual researcher. They will follow ancestors' migration patterns by moving from society to society learning what is available to researchers in each locality while collecting brochures, asking questions, and connecting with like-minded genealogists and family historians. They can consult the FGS website’s Society Hall section for information about all of our member societies. Better still, Society Hall is directly accessible in our app for mobile devices and is even searchable by state.

We’ve made it simple for your society to be a part of Society Showcase. We’re asking every society to send us 300 of your flyers. If you don’t already have one, check out our Tips for Making Your Own Flyer section, below.

Instructions

• Make sure your society renews membership for 2015, or if your society is not a member and would like to participate simply join FGS today.
• Fine-tune your flyer. It should be in 8.5" x 11” format — single or double-sided page, or even a multi-paged brochure. Include a QR code if you can. (Tip for that is below)
• Print out or photocopy 300 flyers. Use white or colored stock, plain or glossy.
• Place your flyers in a box clearly labeled on the outside with:

"Society Showcase"
The name of your society
The name of your state.

• Mail to arrive by 31 December 2014 15 January 2015 to: 

Cherie Bush
Attn: FGS/RT
50 East North Temple Street, JSMB Main
Salt Lake City, UT 84150

• Please alert us by email (societyshowcase@fgs.org) by 31 December if you are participating. This will help us plan.

• Stop by Society Showcase to answer participants’ questions and help them discover resources your society can provide them. 

Your exhibit will be all set up. You don’t have to bring anything with you! We will display your flyers to the 6000+ attendees and encourage those who visit the FGS booth or Society Showcase to take a flyer or scan your QR code. This will help participants follow a migration path through the Society Showcase. 

Tips for Making Your Own Flyer

Be sure to include:

• Society Name, address, URL and email
• Logo
• QR code (particularly good for the techies!)
• Visit http://www.qrstuff.com to generate your own. Easy peasy!
• Mission Statement
• Geographic area covered
• Publications
• Resources and projects for local and long-distance members
• Mention if your society offers look-ups. 
• Do you offer special interest groups or beginners classes for locals?
• Provide contact information of officers or members attending the conference so interested people can arrange to meet them.

We look forward to seeing many of our member societies displayed in the Society Showcase this year! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at societyshowcase@fgs.org.

Best regards,

Polly FitzGerald Kimmitt
Society Showcase Coordinator

A Virtual Tour of the Family History Library

The FGS 2015 conference is fewer than three months away and many attendees are already starting to dream about visiting the Family History Library while they are in Salt Lake City.

The Family History Library, which houses the world’s largest collection of family history materials, is within walking distance of the Salt Palace Convention Center and many conference hotels.  Some attendees will add a few days to their trip, either before or after the conference, while others may prefer to schedule some research time on conference days.

Library Hours

Normal hours for the library are:

• Monday: 8 AM to 5 PM
• Tuesday through Friday: 8 AM to 9 PM
• Saturday: 9 AM to 5 PM
• Sunday: Closed

The library will will be open 8 AM to 5 PM on Presidents Day (Monday, February 16) for those who are planning to research after the conference is over.

Library Layout

There are five floors: three aboveground levels and two basement levels.

Each floor has computers available for patron use, with access to the FamilySearch website, including the FHL Catalog, FamilySearch databases, and the major commercial databases. Restrooms are also available on each floor. Printers, copiers, and scanners can be found throughout the library.

The Main Floor, which is where you enter the library from the outside, has a reference desk where you can ask questions and buy a copy card (necessary if you want to make print copies from books or microfilm). There is a vending area, in case you want to grab a snack without leaving the library. There are also lockers, so that you can store your coat and other items that aren’t needed while researching.

There is also a new “Discovery Area” on the Main Floor. You can bring photos and documents from home and scan them using them using photo scanning equipment. Family Story booths in the Discovery Area allow you to make video and audio recordings and save them to a flash drive (2 GB flash drive recommended).

Repeat Library visitors will notice some changes to the B1, B2, and second floors. These floors have had reference desks in the past, but are being renovated to include new consultation areas. The B1 International floor, for example, now has separate consultation areas to assist patrons with European, Nordic, and Latin American research.

Finding Research Materials at the Library

Each floor is dedicated to a particular type of research material.

• Third Floor:  US Books and Maps
• Second Floor:  US and Canada Microfilms
• Main Floor:  Family History and Canada Books
• Basement 1: International
• Basement 2: British Isles

3rd Floor – US and Canada Books

The books in the Family History section on the Main floor are compiled genealogies, shelved in alphabetical order by surname. However, these books are being digitized and placed online at FamilySearch, so if you don’t find the book you are looking for, it may have been pulled off the shelf for digitization.

The other floors (as well as the Canada Books section on the Main floor) house locality books and/or microfilms. These include local history books, abstracts and transcripts, or images of original records for the locality.

2nd Floor – US and Canada Microfilm

Not all microfilm rolls are housed at the library. Be sure to review the FamilySearch Catalog ahead of time for any microfilm roll you may want to view.  Any items labelled “vault” must be ordered and can take up to three days to arrive, so it is better to pre-order those.

How to Get Help at the Library

Volunteers are available on each floor to answer questions. You can also sign up for a consultation with a research specialist.  A recent innovation allows you to continue researching while waiting for your consultation; you will receive a “restaurant-style” pager that will notify you when the research specialist is available to meet with you.

Close proximity to the Family History Library is only one of many reasons to attend the FGS 2015 conference. Have you registered yet? If not, check out the full program and register today.

FGS 2015 Early-Bird Discount Extended to Sep. 15th

The early-bird registration discount for the 2015 Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference that was slated to expire tonight has been extended to midnight, Monday, September 15. That means you have three extra days to make that decision to gather with the nation's genealogists and family historians at the Salt Palace Convention Center (SPCC) in Salt Lake City, February 11–14, 2015.

This special early-bird discount will save you $20 off the early registration and $50 off the regular registration price! Need another reason? Take a look at the FGS program with three days filled with lectures designed to enhance your research skills. Additionally, Focus on Societies Day aims to give you new ideas and inspiration for helping your own society grow and prosper. Need yet another reason? The famed Family History Library is within walking distance of the SPCC and all four conference hotels.

Visit the FGS 2015 Conference website for details about sessions, speakers, luncheons, special events, and more. If you have questions about FGS 2015, ask them in the comments here or through any FGS social media channel.

Register by Monday to take advantage of this low price.

FGS 2015 Conference Program: Tracks for Researchers and Societies

The Federation of Genealogical Societies 2015 Conference program features a compelling group of tracks for both society leaders and individual researchers presented by many of the best genealogy speakers and educators. Over the next few months, we'll take a close-up look at each track, but today is about the big picture.

FGS 2015, scheduled for February 11–14 in Salt Lake City, Utah, will have a mix of sessions focusing on methodology, records, technology, society issues, and topics specific to the general conference locale. Topics are designed for both the individual researcher and society leaders.

Focus on Societies Day, February 11, offers tracks designed to help society leaders better manage and grow genealogical societies of all sizes and levels.

Society Tracks:

• Benefits & Projects
• Communication for Today
• Genealogical Society Leaders and Visionaries
• Recruiting & Engaging
• Technology for the Future
• The 21st Century Genealogical Society for Today and Tomorrow

Sessions on Thursday, February 12, through Saturday, February 14, are designed for individual researchers of all experience levels from beginners to advanced. Genealogists often talk about brick walls, but learning sound methodology, where and how to find both the usual and unusual records, and information specific to the areas where your ancestors lived will help you tear down those walls.

Research Tracks:

• A Retro Look at Organization and Planning
• Answering Difficult Questions with Leading Questions
• Back to Basics
• Compiling Singular Records into Lively Stories
• Connecting to the Past with Military Commemorations
• DNA
• Ethnic Groups in the West
• Missionaries and Settlers
• Modern Access to Vintage Resources
• Origins
• Record Essentials
• Records and Methods for Your Consideration
• Standards and Practices
• Technology
• The Most Useful Records Hidden in Plain Sight
• Tried and True Methods
• Wagon Trains, Railroads, Migration, & Modern Transportation

The full program, including topics, descriptions, and speakers, is available on the FGS 2015 Conference website. We will spotlight each track over the next few months leading up to the conference in February. 

In the meantime, don't forget that Friday, September 12, 2014 is the last day to register for FGS 2015 for the lowest possible price.

FGS 2015 Special Early-Bird Pricing Ends September 12

Registration for the 2015 Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference opened August 27, 2014 with an early-bird discount registration price of $139. That two-week special price ends Friday, September 12. Register now to get the lowest possible price.

This conference will be held February 11–14, 2015 in Salt Lake City, Utah in conjunction with RootsTech.

The price for a full FGS registration increases to $159 on September 13 and remains in effect through January 23, 2015. The upgrade pass to add-on RootsTech is $39 for the duration of registration.

Visit www.FGSconference.org for information about sessions, speakers, luncheons, special events, and hotels. Read Two Conferences, One Location: How will that work? to learn how FGS 2015 and RootsTech will operate while sharing the Salt Palace Convention Center. If you have questions about FGS 2015, ask them in comments or through any FGS social media channel.

See you in Salt Lake City in February.

Reserve Your FGS 2015 Hotel Room Now!

Now is the time to make your reservations at any of the four conference hotels for the FGS 2015 Conference, which will be held February 11-14, 2015, in Salt Lake City, Utah. The same reduced rates are available for both FGS and RootsTech 2015 conference attendees.

Rates and amenities vary among the hotels, which include the Radisson Hotel Salt Lake City Downtown, Salt Lake Marriott Downtown at City Creek, Salt Lake Plaza Hotel, and Hilton Salt Lake City Center. All are conveniently located near both the Salt Palace Conference Center and the Family History Library.

Reservations can be made by phone (mention FGS when booking) or online. The room block for FGS is February 7-19, 2015. Click here for details on each hotel, including phone numbers and links to online reservations.

Demand will be high for rooms during this one-time dual conference, so reserve your room now. We’ll see you in Salt Lake City!

While you're making that hotel reservation, don't forget to register for FGS 2015. The early bird registration price of $139 lasts until September 12, 2014.

Two Conferences, One Location: How will that work?

FGS 2015 and RootsTech 2015 Together

Two Conferences, One Location: How will that work?

Have you heard about the special genealogy event happening in 2015? The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) and RootsTech are teaming up to bring you that event in Salt Lake City, Utah, February 11–14 at the Salt Palace Convention Center (SPCC).

Salt Lake City already draws genealogists and family historians like no other place on earth. Having two great genealogy conferences at the same time, right down the street from the renowned Family History Library, will only add to that attraction.

This kind of collaboration between two genealogy conferences is new territory for both FGS and RootsTech. Genealogists are excited about the possibilities, but many of you are asking how it will work.

Today we begin answering your questions, but one blog post can’t cover everything. We’ll continue answering your questions about this one-time partnership over the next five months leading up to the conference.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is this one big conference? No. It’s two conferences happening at the same time under one roof while sharing some activities, sessions, and space.

Can I attend only one conference? Can I attend both conferences?

Yes and yes. While FGS and RootsTech are two separate conferences, you have the choice of registering for only one or upgrading your registration to have access to everything both conferences have to offer.

How do I register?

Go to www.FGSconference.org. Early bird discount pricing of $139 for a full FGS registration runs through September 12, 2014 when the price increases to $159. Adding on a full RootsTech pass is $39 now and ongoing.

What will be separate?

FGS and RootsTech will each present their own program of sessions.

FGS sessions on Wednesday will motivate and inspire society volunteers. Thursday through Saturday the focus of FGS sessions will be methodology, records, ethnic research, migration and more for honing your personal research skills. The full program and list of speakers is available at www.FGSconference.org.

RootsTech will offer a program of technology-based solutions for the genealogy needs of both individuals and societies. 

What will be shared?

Attendees will have access to these shared sessions and activities whether they registered for only FGS, only RootsTech, or for both conferences.

• General sessions on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday morning featuring inspirational keynotes, speakers, and presenters.
• An expo hall spanning 120,000 square feet with approximately 240 booth spaces and special vendor presentations.
• Late afternoon or evening activities on Thursday (featuring entertainment on the big stage in SPCC), Friday (extended hours in the expo hall featuring the sights and sounds of different world humanities), and Saturday (featuring the of BYUTV's Studio C and other popular entertainers).
• Two tracks on Saturday - DNA and Technology.

That covers the basics but it’s only the beginning. Stay tuned to this blog and FGS social media for more answers and announcements between now and February 11, 2015. If you have questions, please ask them in comments here or contact FGS through any of our social media channels.

FGS 2015 is going to be a great conference and a unique experience. We hope to see you in Salt Lake City in February.

2015 FGS Conference Registration is Open!

Register for FGS 2015 in SLC today!

Registration is now open for the FGS 2015 national conference scheduled for February 11–14 in Salt Lake City, Utah. This highly anticipated genealogy event puts the FGS and RootsTech conferences under one roof at the Salt Palace Convention Center (SPCC).

Registration opens with a special early bird price of $139 for a full FGS conference registration. That pricing is available through September 12, 2014. Attend only FGS or add-on a full RootsTech pass for an additional $39. Register now at: http://FGSconference.org/2015.

FGS President, D. Joshua Taylor, shares "FGS 2015 will undoubtedly be part of the largest family history event in North America. We are delighted to partner with RootsTech to bring the best of tradition and innovation to the family history community."

Conference Highlights

• Conference Sessions: The program features lectures for genealogists of all experience levels. Attendees will learn from a variety of tracks including Tried and True Methods, The Most Useful Records Hidden in Plain Sight, Compiling Singular Records into Lively Stories, A Retro Look at Organizing and Planning, and Modern Access to Vintage Resources. See the full program and list of speakers at http://FGSconference.org/2015.
• General Sessions: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings will kick off with a joint general session for all FGS and RootsTech attendees.  
• Expo Hall: Both conferences will share an expo hall covering more than 120,000 square feet, which will offer at least 240 booth spaces and a Demo Theater featuring special vendor presentations.
• Research Opportunity: The Family History Library is the reason that Salt Lake City is the dream destination of genealogists everywhere. The library is a located in walking distance of the Salt Palace Convention Center and the four conference hotels.  
• Focus on Societies: Sessions on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 will give society leaders and volunteers ideas and tools to help societies promote themselves, increase membership, and develop sources of revenue.
• Librarians’ Day: On Tuesday, February 10, 2015, ProQuest will sponsor a full pre-conference day of sessions designed for librarians, archivists, and other information professionals serving family history researchers.

Visit the FGS conference website at http://FGSconference.org/2015 for additional details including links to the conference hotels. Watch for future announcements about general session speakers, special activities and more on the FGS Voice Blog at http://voice.fgs.org/ and through FGS social media channels (links available on the conference website).  

See you in Salt Lake City in February!  

Federation of Genealogical Societies Announces 2015 Conference

FGS and RootsTech Events To Be Held In Tandem

February 12-14, 2015 in Salt Lake City

22 August 2013 – Austin, TX. The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) announced today that its 2015 National Conference will be held February 12-14, 2015, in Salt Lake City, Utah in conjunction with RootsTech, hosted by FamilySearch. RootsTech is held each February in Salt Lake City and helps thousands of attendees from around the world discover and share family connections, stories, and history.

With the Salt Palace Convention Center as the common venue, both FamilySearch and FGS are committed to producing a one-of-a-kind genealogy event addressing the educational needs of the family history, technology and genealogical society communities. As the logistics of this sizeable event are still being worked out, both FGS and FamilySearch will work together to share resources and provide cost benefits for all parties, including attendees and exhibitors. Attendees can expect to see familiar elements of previous FGS and RootsTech events including keynote presentations, a Society Showcase and Expo Hall.

Registration for both events will begin in August 2014, six months prior to the February 2015 dates. FGS will also hold a smaller national event for its members in late 2015, with details to be announced at a later date.

FGS President D. Joshua Taylor states, “FamilySearch has been a valued partner and sponsor for FGS during its past conferences. It only makes sense for both organizations to work together and produce what will be the most talked about genealogy events of 2015.” Taylor added that such an event brings the best of RootsTech and FGS conferences together under one roof and will offer genealogists and family historians a wide array of activities and educational opportunities.